Lesson 2 – The Ten Commandments of Incident Command
One of the most poignant and insightful books on incident command was the ancient text, “Art of War” by Sun Tzu. The same principles are timeless for war, the military, and the emergency scene. A key principle is that “Every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought.” It’s about the training and preparation BEFORE the battle that determines victory or defeat. The same applies to incident command.
“I have found in battle that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ten Commandments of Incident Command:
- Know the Enemy
- Know the Battlefield
- Know the Weapons and Tactics of War
- Perform a thorough, ongoing size up
- Stay ahead of the Incident Power Curve
- Communicate in a calm, clear, confident fashion
- Give clear objectives
- Establish ICS divisions and groups early
- Have a Plan B and a Plan C
- Have the guts to say “No”